My guidebooks and further wanderings

An evening stroll by the bay

Sometimes you forget that the nicest walks are in your own backyard. After a very hot 30C day yesterday, and just before the first clouds of mozzies descended, the kids and I headed out for fish and chips down at Station Pier in Port Melbourne, then walked along the promenade past Princes Pier where many of our soldiers embarked for northern wars in the last century. This beautiful sunset was showing off to everyone across the old pier’s pylons, and plenty of people were out walking, enjoying the gentle evening breeze. Further along and the walkway continues past quiet Sandridge beach, which is marked by recovered pier timbers engraved with the names of the old boats which sailed into Melbourne, bringing hopeful new immigrants arriving at Station Pier, eager to start a new life. Sad that we seem to have forgotten that, with notable First People exceptions, we were all boat people once.

You know Greg, it’s crazy how you forget your own backyard sometimes. Have managed to correct that somewhat since getting a dog, as she takes me out to explore all sorts of local haunts. We actually jumped on our bike son Christmas morning and shoved our presents in a backpack and opened them down on St Kilda beach – the water was glass smooth (unusually) and the water crystal clear (even more unusually), with not a breath of wind. Had to pinch myself to remind myself how lucky I am to live here. Happy New Year, Greg – enjoying your year’s review blog and looking forward to many chuckles and photos in your new year blogs to come! J.